Spaghetti fork



H. LEVENE SPAGHETTI FORK June 5, 1956 Filed July 15, 1953 Fig. 2

United States Patent O 2,748,479 SPAGHETTI FORK Herman Levine, Easton, Pa.

Application July 13, 1953, Serial No. 367,593

4 Claims. (Cl. 30-323) The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in table forks, generally speaking, and has reference in particular to a special purpose fork, that is, one which is expressly constructed to be adequately and successfully employed by the user in handling spaghetti during the course of eating it.

It is a matter of common knowledge that so-called spaghetti-eating forks are not broadly new. Those who have sought to advance this art have, evidently, found it most practical and convenient to so construct the fork that the tine-equipped head may be rotated relative to the handle or hand-grip so that the long strands of spaghetti may be not only lifted from the plate but wound around the tines in a familiar manner. Each contribution to the art wherein this primary result is to be achieved has to do with a shank having a tine-equipped head at one end, the other end of the shank being rotatably mounted in one manner or another on the handle. It is the object of the instant invention to structurally, functionally and otherwise improve upon similarly constructed and performing spaghetti-eating and equivalent forks. In reducing this idea to practice, a structural adaptation is had wherein, it is believed, manufacturers, cutlery retailers, users, and others will find their respective requirements and needs effectively embodied.

With the above general aims in mind a spaghetti fork is provided wherein a substantial end portion of the shank is not only rotatably associated with the handle but is, as a matter of fact, telescopically fitted into a socket provided therefor in the handle, the outer end of the handle being substantially closed so that the adjacent end portion of the shank is enclosed within the handle, providing a construction of the utmost in simplicity, one in which the parts may be assembled and repaired and wherein greater and more reliable sanitary results are had.

In the same general field of accomplishments a fork is produced which is otherwise structurally distinct and wherein the number of parts entering into the combination is minimized, thereby not only increasing the efficiency of the structure as a whole, but also rendering the same less costly to manufacture and otherwise simplify the factors of assembling and sale especially in that there are no extraneous gears or parts of mechanisms projecting to pinch the fingers or to become clogged with grease and other accumulations.

Then, too, novelty is predicated on a fork wherein the tines and a head form a flat member so that there will be less likelihood that in the act of twirling the loose tomato paste or other seasonings would be thrown off by centrifugal force.

What is more, a fork is provided which serves the intended purposes, is so constructed that it is easy to hold and handle and is further unique in that there is a disklike shield or guard provided at the juncture of the head and shank which is so arranged that it functions to prevent juices from running along the shank, as would be the case if no guard were present.

Other objects, features and advantages will become 'ice more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation and section showing a special purpose so-called spaghetti fork constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the fork is held and used.

Briefly summarized, the fork may be said to be characterized by an elongated handle having an axial bore opening through one end of the handle and defining a socket, the latter terminating short of the other end of the handle which latter end is substantially closed, said closed end having a relatively small centered hole therein, a shank having an end portion telescoping and rotatable in said socket and rotatably abutting said closed end, the other end of the shank extending axially beyond the adjacent end of the handle and having a flat head formed with tines, and a headed screw threaded fastening passing through said hole and screwed into the adjacent end of the shank and separably and swivelly joining said shank with said handle. 7

With reference now to the sheet of drawings, the stated handle or hand-grip may be described as elongate and hollow. As a matter of fact, the hand-gripis generally cylindrical in cross-section. It is denoted conveniently by the numeral 4 and it is constructed from commercial plastics or any suitable serviceable material. It is preferably non-compressibly rigid and has a central axial bore at 6 which defines a socket. The righ-hand end 8 of the socket may be said to be closed and consequently this end portion of the handle is thickened and closed, as it were, at 10. That is to say, it is closed except that it has a small central hole 12 formed in passing therethrough and this is to accommodate the shank 14 of a headed fastening 16 having a screw-threaded shank 18 screwed into a socket provided therefor in the end portion 20 of the part 22 of the shank which is telescopically enclosed within the socket for detachable mounting and rotation. Therefore, there is a separable swivel connection between the handle and hand-grip. One end portion 24 of the shank projects well beyond the handle where it is providid with a flat substantially rectangular head 26 which head has a flat face body portion 28 and a plurality of pick-up and twirling prongs or tines 3030. These tines are tapered in plan and are flat, that is, linearly straight from end to end. The guard takes the form of a disk 32 of appropriate diameter which is proportional with the part of the head with which it is integrated or otherwise joined. The face 34 is substantially flat and at right angles to the coacting flat faces of the head. This guard prevents juices from running down and along the surfaces of the shank during the course of eating.

In practice it will be evident that the handle 4 is held between the second, third and fourth fingers and the palm of the hand while the shank 24 is grasped and rotated between the thumb and index finger after having first engaged the straight tines in several strands of spaghetti, thereby enabling the user to easily wind the spaghetti around the tines of the work without muss or fuss and eliminating, of course, the necessity of additional implements and entailing the use of but one hand. Obviously, this fork may be used with facile accomplishments by either right-handed or left-handed people; or, for that matter, by so-called one-handed people. Not only does the guard serve to forestall the running of juices along the shank, it also functions to prevent loose ends of the spaghetti strands from actually winding around other than the fork head itself. It is within the purview of the invention to have this disk either as a separate detachable element or an integral element as is obvious.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A spaghetti fork for one-handed use comprising an elongate handle substantially cylindrical in cross-section and having an axial bore opening through the one end and defining a socket, said socket terminating short of the other end of the handle and the latter end being substantially closed, a linearly straight cylindrical shank appreciably longer than said handle, one-half portion of said shank fitting telescopically and rotatably in said socket with one end abutting said substantially closed end, a readily attachable and detachable fastener separably and swivelly joining said one end to said handle by way of said substantially closed end, the other one halfportion of said shank projecting well beyond said one end of the handle, being stout in cross-section and thus handily adapted to be grasped twirledrelative to said handle by the thumb and index finger, and the extreme outward end of said shank having a fiat head embodying spaced tines, the latter being linearly straight and all in the same plane.

2. A spaghetti fork comprising an elongate handle having an axial bore opening through one end of the handle and defining a socket, said socket terminating short of the other end of the handle whereby the latter end is thus substantially closed, said closed end having a relatively small axially centered hole therein, a shank having an insertable and removable end portion telescoping into said socket and adapted to rotate in said socket, and having rotary contact with said closed end, the other end of said shank extending axially beyond the adjacent end of the handle and having a head formed with tines affixed thereto, and a readily attachable and detachable headed fastener having a screw-threaded stern passing through said hole and screwed into a screw-threaded socket provided therefor in the adjacent end of said shank and separably and swivelly joining said shank with said handle.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 and the combination therewith of a disk joined with said head at the juncture of said head and shank, said disk being in a plane at right angles to the plane of said head and constituting a complemental guard.

4. A spaghetti fork for one-handed use comprising an elongate handle substantially cylindrical in cross-section and having an axial bore opening through one end and defining a socket, said socket terminating short of the other end of the handle and said handle being substantially closed, a linearly straight cylindrical shank appreciably longer than said handle, one-half portion of said shank fitting telescopically and rotatably in said socket with one end abutting said substantially closed end, a readily attachable and detachable fastener separably and swivelly joining said one end to said handle by way of said substantially closed end, the other half-portion of said shank projecting well beyond said one end of the handle, being stout in cross-section and thus handily adapted to be grasped and twirled relative to said handle by the thumb and index finger, and the extreme outward end of said shank having a flat head embodying spaced tines, the latter being linearly straight and all in the same plane, and a flat faced circular guard formed .integral with said head and situated at the juncture of said head and the cooperating end of said shank, said guard being of a diameter greater than the width of said head and constituting a spaghetti guard.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 286,668 Wiswell Oct. 16, 1883 1,272,506 Olander July 16, 1918 2,004,659 Groch June 11, 1935 2,396,975 Verbrugge Mar. 19, 1946 2,436,507 Ellwood Feb. 24, 1948 2,602,996 Piche July 15, 1952 

